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# Public says first-past-the-post a barrier to voting
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/public-say-first-past-the-post-a-barrier-to-voting/
- Published: 2008-09-27T13:09:14.000Z
- Updated: 2019-02-14T22:41:44.000Z
- Author: Guy Aitchison
- Tags: #en, #Migrated, #Import 2026-04-09 18:49

**Guy Aitchison (London,** [**OK**](https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom)**):** A record response to the MoJ's public consultation on weekend voting says that first-past-the-post is a barrier to voting, according to the electoral reform group, [Make Votes Count](http://www.makemyvotecount.org.uk/news.html?ref=opendemocracy.net). Question 9 of the consultation asked ""Are you aware of any barriers which prevent individuals from voting? What are the issues and how can they be overcome?". Almost all of the responses seen by Make Votes Count answered this question by referring to first-past-the-post. The consultation, which ended yesterday, also found that many people would rather the Government prioritised reform of the electoral system rather than change the day on which people vote. You can see a selection of the responses on the Make Votes Count [website](http://www.makemyvotecount.org.uk/news.html?ref=opendemocracy.net).

The responses show that the public understands the issues and provides yet another reason in favour of dumping the absurdly disproportional f-p-t-p in the skip where it belongs along with all the other embarassing relics of our constitution. In some parallel world where public consultations had some impact on policy we might expect this to happen. But as Stuart Weir [noted ](https://www.opendemocracy.net/blog/ourkingdom-theme/stuart-weir/2008/09/26/a-wilder-constitution)yesterday in relation to the proposed changes to the rules of royal succession, the Government's constitutional reforms are little more than cosmetic: the fundamentals of the royalist constitution remain sacrosanct.

Weekend voting? Possibly. PR? Don't hold your breath.